Seabirds chef lands temp gig in Newport

Nov. 14, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Stephanie Morgan and her vegan food truck arrive at the SOCO Collection Farmers Market on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa on Saturday. Seabirds Truck has developed a loyal following of customers who not only show up on Saturdays, but also go to the various other locations the truck moves around to throughout the week. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Stephanie Morgan prepares to open for business at the SOCO Collection Farmers Market on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa on Saturday. Her Seabirds Truck serves vegan dishes at various locations throughout the week to the delight of many OC vegans who say finding places that make good vegan dishes is pretty difficult. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Stephanie Morgan and her vegan food truck arrive at the SOCO Collection Farmers Market on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa on Saturday. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Beer Battered Avocado Tacos are a hot seller at the Seabirds Truck. The ingredients include a fried avocado wedge, creamy cilantro, jalapeno sauce, red onion and cabbage slaw. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Ken Kelly enjoys Beer Battered Avocado Tacos from the Seabirds Truck. "Even cowboys eat healthy food," said Kelly who runs the Bautista Creek Local Produce stand next to where the Seabirds Truck parks at the SOCO Collection Farmers Market on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa on Saturdays. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Beer Battered Avocado Tacos are a hot seller at the Seabirds Truck. The ingredients include a fried avocado wedge, creamy cilantro, jalapeno sauce, red onion and cabbage slaw. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Seabirds Truck gets a steady stream of customers at the SOCO Collection Farmers Market on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa on Saturday. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

Seabirds has expanded beyond simply selling food from the truck. Their sandwich wraps and vegan burritos are now being sold at San Diego State University. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Cousins Katherine Tsu of Hong Kong, left, and Jennifer Leung of Cerritos check out the drink selections at the Seabirds Truck on Saturday. "This is my favorite food truck," Leung said. "It's hard to find good vegan food, which is why I come here. The Jack Fruit Tacos are my favorite." ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Customers line up to order food from the Seabirds Truck on Saturday. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Danny Curry of Newport Beach, left, and Mark Bauer of Anaheim feed their sons Luca Curry and Mason Bauer food from the Seabirds Truck. The dads ate the Beer Battered Tacos, and the kids are getting Mushroom and Spinach Mac and Cheese. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

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Seabirds Truck employee Emily Duke writes out the day's menu on the chalk board, Saturday, at the SOCO Collection Farmers Market on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

Stephanie Morgan and her vegan food truck arrive at the SOCO Collection Farmers Market on Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa on Saturday. Seabirds Truck has developed a loyal following of customers who not only show up on Saturdays, but also go to the various other locations the truck moves around to throughout the week.ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER

Morgan is taking over the kitchen at the store's Back Bay Tavern restaurant Dec. 6-8. The vegan menu will be available 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.

"I'm excited to be in a kitchen and not on wheels," Morgan said.

In addition to serving signature dishes like her critically reviewed avocado tacos, Morgan said the pop-up menu will offer complicated dishes that can't be done on the truck, such as butternut squash enchiladas and a persimmon roasted beet carpaccio.

The pop-up will act as a dry run for Morgan, who has plans to open a brick and mortar restaurant in Orange County. No deals have been finalized, but she's hoping to launch a taco stand in Santa Ana. A larger restaurant is also in the works.

"We'd love to be part of downtown Santa Ana," she said.

Morgan is also getting into the wholesale market.

She's selling vegetarian wraps and burritos to San Diego State's Aztec Market, a student-run convenience store on campus. Morgan said the market contacted them after tasting her food.

"We'd love to get with more schools," she said. "So many kids want healthier options."

Promelis closure turns ugly

Since the recession hit, I've written about dozens of Orange County restaurant closures. The reasons run the gamut: tough economy, bad location, landlord dispute, stiff competition.

But this is a first: the popular tenant next door ruined the business.

So says Robert J. McNerney, owner of Promelis Westcliff Market in Newport Beach. He closed the gourmet market Oct. 28 after operating it for more than a decade.

Kean Coffee "put us out of business," he said.

The Newport Beach café, run by coffee guru Martin Diedrich and his wife, Karen, opened in late 2005 at the Westcliff Drive center. Coffee lovers have since swarmed the center daily, making parking difficult for Promelis customers, said Jim Riordan, a business consultant acting as McNerney's spokesman.

"Doesn't it seem counterintuitive to say, 'My business suffered because the shopping center is crowded'?" she said.

Diedrich said her customers have never complained about lack of parking at the center, which is home to multiple businesses. She also said many of her customers frequented Promelis.

"The initial effect of our business being next to his was positive," she said.

Diedrich said competition in the area, along with a tanking economy, likely hurt Promelis' business – not her café. Over the past few years, rival food options such as The Meat House and Sprouts have opened in the area.

"I think there's a lot of competition in his category that (has) come into the neighborhood," she said.

After I pressed Riordan, he acknowledged the recession definitely hurt the market's business. Nonetheless, he said, Kean's popularity brought down Promelis' business. On some days, Riordan said, he had spotted "as many as 80 people" sitting outside the café – a code violation. The café is permitted no more than nine patio seats.

Diedrich said the café had "a few" extra chairs on the patio. After an enforcement officer showed up, they removed the additional seats.

"It didn't change our business," she said.

Reporting Kean to the city didn't change Promelis' business either.

The market eventually closed, and McNerney is retired.

Tell us: Do you frequent this center? Are Kean customers hogging parking spaces, or is Promelis looking for someone to blame?

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